My Shadowbox Background Project

[euromomtx]

pic from yesterday:

I may add more contrast later on after the real rocks get their final coloration but for now I am fine with it the way it is.

 

[sseaner]

Really Awesome......I will have to try this. What is the distance between the glass and the light box?

 

[euromomtx]

really close. maybe an inch or two between glass and acrylic sheet.
Thanks!

 

[bebereef]

Very good source of inspiration! thanks!!

 

[disenchantedone]

That's an awesome build, euromomtx!!

Great....just great!?!?!.....now you got the old gears-in-the-head working!!! I'm thinking......I'm thinking..... :lol:

 

[euromomtx]

keep thinking. and when you start doing don't forget to post your ideas and results here!

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

Karin, :thumbsup: I really like it!

 

[sseaner]

Do you have a canopy on the tank? from a distance with the whole tank. Sorry to be a PITA!

 

[euromomtx]

no canopy. It's an ATI fixture suspended from the ceiling. I like open tops.

 

[RVANANO]

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is like the single coolest thing I have seen on this forum. I would kill to have done this when setting up my tank.

 

[sirreal63]

Awesome work Karin...I had no idea you were an artist too. I really like what you have done.

 

[ashtroid]

Looks great the only thing that would bug me is the shadow of the rocks on the galss itself but other than that so baller......i may have to do this myself

 

[hamiltonguy]

Definitely a great idea and I admire your hard work. I'm in the process of setting up my 75g tank. You said you spent $100 on the paint alone, I was thinking of just getting someone to paint me a portrait of some rock in the sea then putting a softened hardboard on the back of the tank to make it hazy. That way I can maximize the space in the aquarium too since it's only 18" wide.

 

[euromomtx]

Yes absolutely. A lot of my expense was doing things over and over and over.
If I had know right away which would work well and which things would turn out to be a waste of time I would have been able to get 4 spray cans at $4 each and be done.

 

[hamiltonguy]

Yeah that's a good point. I guess you didn't know it would be this hard before you started. I still think your work looks good. Adds that extra little touch.

 

[euromomtx]

Actually what I meant was it is a lot easier than I made it to be.
I didn't know what things would be like so I tried a bunch of different stuff that ended up not being necessary.

But that was really the point in documenting it. So if somebody else wants to try it they may be able to shorten the process by learning from my dead-end ideas. lol

 

[hamiltonguy]

Well here's some pics from this weekend:
steel-wool-ed the acrylic sheet:

In this pictures did that acrylic sheet come as blue or did you paint it?
Also, what paint did you use to paint the hardboard?

 

[euromomtx]

the acrylic was blue. I think if you painted it it woudl be tough to get the transparency even.
The paint I ended up liking best for the hardboard were Krylon Bali Sea. If I wanted it darker Valspar Night Tide was very pretty as well. Both had significant green tones to it.
I think if you painted it pure blue and had a blue acrylic in front it would be a little too blue but that's just me

 

[sseaner]

Do you have an FTS with the stand and lights in the pic?

 

[hamiltonguy]

the acrylic was blue. I think if you painted it it woudl be tough to get the transparency even.
The paint I ended up liking best for the hardboard were Krylon Bali Sea. If I wanted it darker Valspar Night Tide was very pretty as well. Both had significant green tones to it.
I think if you painted it pure blue and had a blue acrylic in front it would be a little too blue but that's just me

I was thinking I would just get someone to paint some rocks on a background of the Krylon Bali Sea then stick some blue acrylic sheet in front to give it a hazy look. I'll post the results when I can find some time to get this done.